Hot Chip

The thing that might be so attractive about Hot Chip is its perfect mix of diverse styles of music, compounding dance and experimental electronic with soft, tender vocals and well-written lyrics, all providing a wonderful contrast to the recurring hip-hop themes. But Hot Chip possesses not only a unique sound but also a fascinating personality. The quintet's music tends to reflectively comment on the current affairs of the genres it has adopted. "The idea for the song öDown with Prince' came from all these bands copying Prince in the most lame, obvious way," says Joe Goddard, beatmaster and vocalist of the group.

Hot Chip's most striking musical comments are hip-hop hooks in songs like "Shining Escalade"  "I want a shining SUV/People see me differently...."  adding a mournful mood to the expected boastful clichés. The band adds everything antithetical to hip-hop and places it in a hip-hop hook. "Instead of riding in a Hummer or something, it's öriding in my Peugeot,' and instead of Dr. Dre, it's Yo La Tengo," Goddard says. Fortunately this sort of thoughtful commentary doesn't prevent the bandmates from putting on an amazing live show. According to Goddard, the group "lines up with the keyboards, sort of like Kraftwerk," adding that "people have also compared our live performances to that of New Order."